• Un rare dessin au crayon de Lawren Harris en vedette dans le cadre de la vente automnale de Consignor Canadian Fine Art

    (Left to Right) Lawren Harris, Lake Superior (I.D. 463); Emily Carr, European Street Scene; Mary Pratt, Baking Bread; Michael Snow, Off Minor (1958)
    De gauche à droite: Harris, Lake Superior; Carr, European Scene; Pratt, Baking Bread; Snow, Off Minor

    Les œuvres d’Emily Carr, Mary Pratt et Alex Colville seront présentées aux enchères le 23 novembre

    (Toronto – le 1er novembre, 2017) Consignor Canadian Fine Art annonce sa vente aux enchères semestrielle qui inclura un rare dessin au crayon de Lawren Harris, un travail préparatoire d’une de ses toiles les plus renommées, « Lake Superior », qui est présentement affichée dans la collection Thomson au Musée des beaux-arts de l’Ontario. Le dessin, qui appartenait autrefois à son épouse Bess Harris, sera offert aux enchères avec une estimation de 20 000 $ – 30 000 $. Cependant, sa rareté et son importance en tant que précurseur d’une toile majeure pourraient remettre en question le prix record pour un dessin d’un membre du Groupe des Sept. L’œuvre sera offerte à la vente en salle, laquelle aura lieu au musée Gardiner le jeudi 23 novembre.

    « L’importance du dessin au crayon pour Lawren Harris est bien connue » dit Rob Cowley, Président de Consignor. « Il considérait son carnet de croquis et ses crayons tout aussi importants que les huiles et les pinceaux qu’il portait avec lui lors de ses excursions de peinture en plein air. Nous sommes ravis d’avoir acquis cette esquisse importante qui est liée à l’une des œuvres les plus célèbres de Harris. C’est une superbe œuvre d’art et nous prévoyons de fortes enchères la soirée du 23 ».

    Yvonne McKague Housser, amie et collègue artiste de Harris, a décrit sa technique en graphite:  « Ses dessins sont une clé qui ouvre la porte à ce qu’il pensait et peignait…Les dessins étaient importants à titre introductif, afin de clarifier son esprit avant de commencer une toile ».

    L’été dernier, Consignor s’est lancé dans une tournée d’évaluation, voyageant des Maritimes à Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina et Vancouver. Les spécialistes ont invité les membres du public à amener leurs œuvres d’art à des fins d’évaluation. C’est au cours de cette tournée que Consignor a découvert certaines des œuvres les plus exceptionnelles dans le cadre de la vente de novembre, y compris le dessin du lac Supérieur.

    Points saillants de la vente en salle automnale 2017 de Consignor:

    –Emily Carr, European Street Scene, une aquarelle peinte en 1911 lors de sa formation artistique en France (estimation 150 000 $ – 175 000 $), découverte à Calgary, Alberta

    –A.J. Casson, Bridge Over Humber River, une des premières œuvres de Casson créée en plein air (estimation 20 000 $  – 30 000 $), découverte en Colombie-Britannique

    –Mary Pratt, Baking Bread, peintre célèbre des Maritimes (30 000 $ – 40 000 $); et Alex Colville, Recording Line Zero, Near Nijmegen, une aquarelle de la période de guerre (estimation 30 000 $ – 40 000 $), les deux œuvres ont tous deux étées découvertes à Saint John, Nouveau-Brunswick

    En vedette sur la page couverture du catalogue de la vente de Consignor est une toile d’huile de Michael Snow de 1958, intitulée « Off Minor ». La grande toile abstraite appartenait auparavant à Joseph Gladstone, le frère de l’artiste torontois Gerald Gladstone; elle est présentée pour la première fois aux enchères avec une valeur estimée de 40 000 $ – 60 000 $.
    Les œuvres d’art sont présentement exposées à la galerie Consignor Canadian Fine Art, au 326, rue Dundas Ouest. Pour de plus amples renseignements sur l’exposition et la vente en salle, ainsi que pour accéder au catalogue en ligne, veuillez consulter le site internet consignor.ca. La vente se tiendra le jeudi 23 novembre, au musée Gardiner (111, Queen’s Park, Toronto).

  • Collectable Prints Featured in Consignor’s September Auction

    Within the broad practice of printmaking are several distinct techniques, many of which are included in the Consignor September Auction.

    Consignor’s current Online Auction of Canadian and International art, consisting of 239 lots, offers a vast range of artwork for sale in various media – oil paintings, photography, sculpture and prints.

    Collecting prints is an excellent way to start or build a comprehensive art collection, as well as a way to familiarize oneself with styles and artists at a more accessible price point than other mediums.

    Rita Letendre, SharasMany artists of the Post-War period embraced printmaking, creating images of their modern compositions in multiple copies. Leader of the abstract colourist movement, Rita Letendre produced many silkscreen prints, such as Sharas, lot 56. Also known as serigraphy or screen printing, the silkscreen process consists of a stencilled image placed in a frame, which has a layer of mesh stretched across it, forming a ‘screen’. Ink is then pushed through the stencil onto a sheet of paper. Dating to 1973, Letendre’s Sharas serves as a prime example of her signature style of hard-edge abstraction.

    Jean Paul Riopelle, Les Oies IILithography has also been a popular printmaking method among 20th century Canadian artists. Jean Paul Riopelle frequently worked in this medium, creating abstract and quasi-abstract images such as Les Oies II, lot 58 in the September auction. In this process the artist draws an image onto stone with a grease-based medium, then applies ink to the stone, which adheres only to the image. The stone is then run through a press onto a sheet of paper. The online auction features two lots of rare black and white lithographs by Henri Masson of Quebec village scenes. These charming prints, lots 91 and 92, are examples of the artist’s very limited body of work in printmaking.

    Ed Bartram, CycleA very old form of printmaking that is still used today is etching. Using a needle, the artist scratches a composition onto a metal plate covered with wax. The plate is then submerged in acid, which eats into the metal exposed by the scratched lines. Etching has often been used to achieve very delicate black and white images, such as lot 155 by Caroline Armington, a pair of etchings depicting two of Paris’ famous bridges. A more contemporary rendering of the etching technique is lot 54, Cycle by contemporary Canadian artist Ed Bartram.

    Harold Town, UntitledPurchasing prints at auction are also an excellent and accessible way to collect the work Canada’s most renowned artists. Lots 64, 81 and 90 by William Kurelek, Harold Town and Ted Harrison respectively, provide the opportunity to own a composition in these painters’ distinct styles, as their prints are more readily-available and affordable when compared to original works.

    Consignor’s September Auction of Canadian and International art includes many excellent examples of traditional printmaking methods used by Canadian artists. Buying prints at auction is also a fantastic platform for the emerging collector. Visit our website and view our full online catalogue for more details on the available works and upcoming sales.

  • Rob Chats with CH Morning Live Regarding Auction Valuation & Recent Maud Lewis Auction Record

  • Carmichael Masterwork Sells for $475,000 During Spring Season

    Records Broken & New Traditions Established for Consignor This Season

    Old Orchard, a major 1940 painting by Franklin Carmichael was sold for $475,000 during the spring auction season, the highest price paid for the painter’s work in eight years and one of the highest values ever achieved for the painter’s work by an auction firm.  The price was just one of the many highlights encountered by Consignor Canadian Fine Art this spring.

    The Spring Live Auction of Important Canadian Art, held May 25th, was an evening of new traditions and continued success for Consignor, the auction establishing strong prices for historical, post-war and contemporary works of quality and rarity.  The auction was held for the first time at Toronto’s Gardiner Museum, the downtown venue filled to capacity with an electric environment of excitement palpable from the drop of the hammer on the first lot sold.  The classy and cozy setting was instantly popular with clients, paddles comfortably waving in the air throughout the night.

    Excited bidding participation came through not only in the room, but through spirited telephone and absentee bidding, pushing choice artworks well beyond expectation.  Drawing strong reaction from the room was the sale of Three Black Cats, the small oil painting by Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis fetching a record $36,800 (prices posted include applicable Buyer’s Premium), almost double the previous auction record and five times the presale estimate.  Appreciation for Atlantic Canadian artists continued with David Blackwood’s Fire Down on the Labrador selling for $48,300, doubling its estimate and marking the second highest price ever achieved for the iconic imagery created by the Newfoundlander printmaker.

    Artwork by Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven continued to excited collectors during the spring season, with notable results including: Tom Thomson’s Fallen Timber (Algonquin) selling for $125,000; Edwin Holgate’s Autumn Leaves selling for $75,000; Madawaska, a 20 x 26 inch canvas by A.Y. Jackson fetching $69,000; A.J. Casson’s captivating Old Hotel, Elora selling for $36,800 while Casson’s Byng Inlet fetched $29,900.  Works on paper by the Group saw record prices set with Lawren Harris’ Snow-Covered Trees more than doubling its estimate to reach $50,600 and A.Y. Jackson’s Gulf of St. Lawrence selling for $14,950, both auction records for works on paper by the artists.

    Further historical highlights displayed a love for portraiture from collectors this season with an enchanting Jean Paul Lemieux portrait fetching $48,300; Randolph Hewton’s Portrait of Thomas Archer Esq. selling for $14,950; and Hal Ross Perrigard’s Vere reaching $10,925, each exceeding their pre-sale estimate.

    Post-War and Contemporary Canadian works performed notably during the May 25th live auction with: Ted Harrison’s The Grecian House (Dawson City) selling for $34,500, Sorel Etrog’s “Ferrari red” Sadko fetching $27,600, Paul-Émile Borduas’ Abstract Composition watercolour reaching $21,850 and Rita Letendre’s L’Enchenteur selling for $17,250.

    The May live auction was surrounded by Consignor’s March and June Online Auctions, sales which are carefully catered not only to established collectors looking to supplement their existing collections but also to new collectors who continue to hunt for gems to create an assemblage.  Feverish online bidding led to collectors across Canada and beyond being awarded notable works of art by A.J. Casson, J.W. Beatty, Manly MacDonald, H.S. Palmer, Alan Collier, Yvonne McKague Housser, Goodridge Roberts, Jack Bush, Alex Colville, Norval Morrisseau, David Urban, Angela Leach, and Kim Dorland, among many others.

    We extend our thanks to the consignors, buyers, bidders and clients who helped to ensure another season of success for Consignor Canadian Fine Art.  Preparation has already begun for our fall sales, including the Live Auction of Important Canadian Art (to be held on November 23rd at the Gardiner Museum).  We are currently accepting consignments for the upcoming sales and our team would be delighted to meet with you in our downtown Toronto gallery or during our national travels this summer.  The summer months feature a selling exhibition in the gallery and online, allowing clients the opportunity to consider a variety of work by Canadian artists, available for immediate sale (full listing available here).

  • Accessible Art Collecting Through Consignor’s Online Auctions

    Edward Bartram, Island Cut, Moose Bay

    June Online Auction Open For Bidding Between June 7th and 14th

    Angela Leach, AR Wave 37Consignor’s June Online Auction of Canadian and International Art begins this week with 266 lots forming a second session to follow our May 25th live auction. Our two live auctions each year adhere to the global tradition of showcasing the highest valued works in the months of May and November; this is when we see headlines about the record sales in London and New York of paintings for millions of dollars each. As a result, the reputation of auction houses is often misconstrued, and many people develop a tendency to associate auctions as being far from accessible to the majority of art collectors. However, this is certainly not always the case. Our online sales, such as the current June auction, provide an excellent opportunity to purchase artworks in a variety of styles and price ranges – an ideal platform for starting or building an art collection.

     

    John Anderson, Track Down to the Ripe Barley

    One of the most consistent subjects of artwork we receive on consignment is the Canadian landscape. Our firm offers many picturesque scenes of the country’s wilderness in traditional renderings by historical artists, as well as contemporary depictions of Canada’s terrain.  Stunning prints by Edward John Bartram (b. 1938) provide a fresh take on the classic Group of Seven subject of Georgian Bay. Lot 264, entitled Island Cut, Moose Bay is a hand-coloured etching with a dramatic perspective of the shoreline and jewel-toned blue colour palette. Bartram is a living artist based in Toronto, whose work frequently is exhibited and sold in galleries, and at gallery – ie. retail – prices. When his work comes up at auction, estimates reflect the fair market value, which provides the opportunity to own a framed artwork at a highly affordable price. Other contemporary landscape artists whose work trades at the gallery level as well as at auction are David T. Alexander (b. 1947) and John Anderson (b. 1940). The two artists create modern and colourful renditions of the Canadian landscape, often in a large-scale format, such as lot 254, Alexander’s semi-abstract Rocky Mountain Lake and lot 370, Anderson’s Track Down to the Ripe Barley in cheerful shades of green.

    Jack Bush, Cross OverA speciality at Consignor is post-war abstract art, a movement in Canadian art that paralleled the aesthetic tendencies of the American Abstract Expressionists and Colour-Field painters of the 1950s and 1960s. We have a selection of six abstract prints by the prolific artist Jack Bush (1909-1977) in our June auction, such as lot 263, Cross Over, with his distinctive vibrant colour palette. Bush was a founding member of Painters Eleven, a Toronto artist group whose objective was to promote abstract painting in Canada. La Plonge #8, lot 244 in our June auction, is a colour lithograph by William Perehudoff (1919-2013), who was another central figure in Canadian abstraction, since the 1960s. A Saskatchewan native, the effect of the flat plains and open skies of the prairies are alluded to in many of his abstract works such as this one. An example of a more recent style of abstract art is lot 249 AR-Wave #37, painted in 2001 by Angela Leach (b. 1966). A contemporary artist based in Toronto, Leach explores the possibilities of Op Art, a style of visual art that uses optical illusions, giving the viewer the impression of movement and vibrating patterns. Consignor frequently offers many abstract works of art, dating from the 1950s to today, that serve as perfect examples of artwork that can be effortlessly incorporated to homes with modern decor.

     

    Alex Colville, Prize CowWe also offer other popular subjects including still lifes, portraits, and street scenes. Lot 226, Chestnut Street by Albert Franck (1899-1973) presents a charming view of the quintessential residential streets in downtown Toronto. Our online auctions include art in a variety of media, such as oil paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photography and posters. Purchasing prints at auction are an excellent and accessible way to collect the work of very well-known Canadian artists. Lot 253, a serigraph entitled Prize Cow by Alexander Colville (1920-2013), provides the opportunity to own an image of the painter’s distinct realist style, as his prints are more readily-available and affordable when compared to his oil paintings.

     

    Consignor’s online auctions offer an optimal venue for the emerging collector. Our sales provide a vast and ever-changing selection of artwork that fits your price range, personal taste and home decor. The quality and value of artworks offered at auction can be far superior to something of the same price at a commercial gallery or retail store. The concept of collecting art does not have to be intimidating and it is much more accessible than you think!